Higashiyama, Meguro, Nakameguro; sweets for a moment. Nuts may be a somewhat unexpected match, but they’re part and parcel with a cuppa at this one-of-a-kind tea shop. The chummy owner also helms a nut shop around the corner, and it wasn’t long before he realized that nuts and oriental tea have a commonality: a “deep taste created by Mother Earth.” And so Groovy Na Ocha was born. Dotting every table are bowls of raw walnuts that guests can crack into as they please, to balance the delicate aroma of tea. It won’t be long before you’re a convert and those bowls need a refill. Sign up for a traditional tea ceremony at Rakuu-tei Tea House, located inside Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. It’s the best way to learn the ins and outs of the ceremonial way of serving and enjoying tea.